Ace Atkins is at the top of his game when it comes to putting the reader into his story. He does vast amounts of research, but barely uses it. The attention to detail is exact and used in the right amount. He's less interested in telling you about a time period than immersing you in it and drawing subtle parallels to the present. Crossroad Blues, his debut novel, was the first in his series character, ex-football star, blues historian Nick Travers. As Nick travels the Mississippi delta, looking for a lost colleague and recording of blues legend Robert Johnson, Atkins makes you sweat in the humidity, even if you're reading it in December. The music comes alive by the way it's given history and more important, feeling. He practically makes it a character. Because of this, we never question Nick risking his life for a record.
Ace Atkins: Through the past, darkly
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